Warm Fuzzies
by Kamikalo
Summary: When one of Robbie's inventions goes terribly wrong, he and Sportacus set out on a crazy adventure to set things right. In the midst of their travels, the two will discover a new understanding of life and quite possibly of each other. Possible SportRobbie
1. Switch

Sportacus leaped over the walls of LazyTown, searching for any signs of life in the park. His eyes scanned over the playground, the basketball court and benches. No one. Sportacus scratched his head in confusion. _Nope, not here…_Sportacus turned full circle and made a dash for the giant apple tree the kids were so fond of. He was disappointed to find no one there. It was odd. Sportacus couldn't find anybody. Not Stephanie, not Pixel, not Stingy…No one! Sitting down beneath the tree, Sportacus tapped his chin in thought. _Maybe they all went somewhere…A ha!_ Sportacus hopped up and ran to his air ship.

"Calendar!"

His bright blue and white calendar fell from the ship, landing comfortably in Sportacus's hands. He grinned happily and opened it to the precise month and date.

"Hm, let's see. A ha! Here we are! June 27th, kids and mayor on vacation from LazyTown."

He closed his calendar, his smile disappearing. _Gone on vacation?_ In a typical fashion, he tapped the calendar in his hand as he thought hard. After a quick demand to the air ship, Sportacus climbed up his ladder to put his little calendar back. Once inside, the calendar was tossed onto the floor near his pilot's seat and he sighed in slight irritation.

"Gone on vacation? They won't be back til' after a few weeks!" Sportacus paced as he talked out loud to himself, "Who am I gonna spend time wi-"

As soon as the name of a certain person entered his mind, a wide smile spread across Sportacus's lips. He dashed to the door of his air ship and started down the ladder. The individual he was thinking of may not like it at first, but Sportacus was determined to make him like company and being social. Besides, Sportacus didn't want to be by himself for the next few weeks. This time together was going to make them way better friends than ever before.

--------------

Robbie tapped his ratchet against his face. Something wasn't coming together correctly. Maybe he had the wrong bolt. _Yeah, that has to be it._ Robbie dug through his tool chest and found his little container of various bolts and screws. The little pieces of metal dinged noisily as he searched for the correct bolt he needed. Once the correct one was in possession, Robbie quickly tightened it into place upon the machine.

Sitting back, Robbie sighed and wiped his brow. He had been working on this machine all morning, even getting up early to start working on it. The machine itself wasn't very large, maybe the size of and the resemblance a large pivotal gun. Opening the side compartment, Robbie inspected all the wiring. _Looks correct._ Using a screw driver, Robbie lifted some wires deeper inside the machine to further inspect the contents. Everything looked right. Robbie smiled and sighed again, lifting up his work goggles and placing them on his forehead.

"Now, a few more adjustments and it should be ready to test."

Robbie put his goggles back down and grabbed his welder, bending down underneath a balance wing to the union point of the base and the stand of the machine. Sparks flew as he turned the torch on and began to weld the metal together better. _I need it to stay nearly perfectly still. _The metal fused together, the sparks causing a crackling sound as it further welded the material. Robbie had a sudden tingling sensation. It was the kind of sensation he got when he was being watched. Assuming it was stray sparks from the torch, Robbie continued welding.

"Hey, Robbie!"

Robbie jumped with a yelp, his head hitting the balance wing above him. The torch dropped to the ground, turning off. Sportacus shuffled back a few steps. _Guess I shouldn't have snuck up on him like that._

"Uh…Robbie?" Sportacus walked over to the man, about to place his hands on his shoulders, "Robbie, are you oka-"

Robbie turned around with his hands covering the place of impact, "NO I AM NOT OKAY!"

Sportacus fell backwards from the intensity of Robbie's scream, eventually scratching the back of his head and laughing nervously, "Sorry about that, Robbie. I didn't mean to scare you."

"You know you aren't supposed to come down here!" Robbie said as he lifted his goggles off his eyes to better scowl at the elf.  
"I know I know. I'm not supposed to come down here without your permission. But you NEVER give me permission! Come on, Robbie! Cut me some slack."

Robbie only glared at him before snarling and putting his goggles back on his face. Sportacus laughed again, getting up and patting the dust off his pants. Robbie picked up his torch and inspected it. Luckily, it wasn't damaged.

"Put your damned goggles on."

Sportacus did as he was told. The elf didn't know anything about mechanics or machines, but he knew Robbie did. It was a good idea to do as Robbie said. The torch blazed on once again, and crackles could be heard as the fire touched the metal again. Sportacus meandered far to the side of Robbie, watching closely.

"What're you doing down here, anyways?"

"The kids are gone on vacation. I didn't wanna be by myself, so I came to see you! I knew you would be alone."

Robbie didn't say anything, grumbling in his head. _Stupid kids. Leaving m with the big kid._

Sportacus looked over the machine, "So, what is this thing?"

The light from the sparks lit up Robbie's face, "A True Former 2000."

"A whatty what what?"

Robbie sighed, turning off the torch and getting up, "A True Former 2000."

Sportacus glanced at Robbie, "What's it do?"

Robbie took a white cloth and wiped the long barrel of the machine, "Once fired at an object, the object hit will turn into its original form or what it would be if it were something different, depending on the settings."

"Uh, huh?"

Robbie sighed, "I'll show you."

Robbie grabbed a locked box and opened it with a quick yank of a lever. He reached inside and pulled out a plastic bag containing one red, perfectly ripe apple. Sportacus was about to ask what Robbie was doing with an apple, of all the things, but decided to keep his mouth shut. The shock of the apple being in the lair was large enough, let alone why it was there. Robbie grabbed a knife and cut a chunk out of the apple, tossing away the rest. He cringed as the apple's scent reached his nostrils and quickly put it on his testing pedestal already placed before the machine.

"Why'd you cut it, Robbie?"

"Get back here and watch."

Sportacus darted behind the machine next to Robbie.

Robbie grabbed a little control panel with multiple knobs on it, "That little chunk of apple used to be a whole, therefore, it's not in its real, true form." Robbie pushed a lever to the side, making the entire machine hum and light up. "Now, I have constructed a mechanism to use specifically charged ions, mutative elements, and electricity to successfully change something's shape. I then use mirrors to bounce them together and create a small, energy filled force that will change the object it hits to the true or hidden form."

Robbie turned a knob up high, "Now. Watch." The machine hummed louder, the barrel crackling with electricity. "Now, I've set the machine to 'true form,' so the piece of apple should become a whole again."

Sportacus gasped, "Wow…really?"

Robbie nodded, "Now. Stand back. Testing run one. Three…Two…One."

Robbie pressed a lever like button and the transparent barrel turned bright red. A bright light flashed and smoke engulfed the pedestal. The hum of the machine died slightly and Sportacus coughed as the smoke worked its way back towards them. Robbie tilted his head side ways in thought, placing the controls down on the table and walking towards the pedestal. Sportacus walked after him.

"Hey! Robbie, wait for me!"

Robbie and Sportacus stood before the pedestal. Robbie wafted away the remaining smoke and peered down onto the pedestal. He grinned once he saw what sat there.

"Well, well, well."

Sportacus looked up at Robbie in wonder. _Did it work?_ Robbie turned to Sportacus and held up a perfect apple by its stem in front of Sportacus's face.

"Am I a genius or what?"

Sportacus smiled widely, gently taking the apple from Robbie's fingers and inspecting it. The apple was as perfect as the day it was originally plucked from the tree.

"Go ahead. Taste it."

Sportacus happily complied, taking a large bite from the apple. It tasted even better than it looked! He closed his eyes as he took another bite, taking in the full pleasure of eating one of his favorite fruits. Robbie inspected the pedestal.

"Hm. There isn't even any burn marks from the high temperature of the energy. Very intriguing!"

Sportacus looked over to the machine. It steamed slightly, "Robbie?"

"Hm?"

"Is that bad?"

Robbie looked up at the machine. The steam seemed to be increasing. He quickly walked over and inspected the barrel. The inside was filled with smoke. Robbie placed his hand on the side of the machine, but quickly drew it away with a yelp. _The damn thing is over heating, even after all the precautions I took for that!_ The machine began to beep quickly, sending Robbie into a panic. Robbie grabbed the controls and began to push and pull the little levers.

Sportacus looked at him curiously, "Hm? Robbie, what's that me-"

"It means it's over heating and if I don't figure something out fast, it will explode!"

Robbie was talking so fast, Sportacus would have sworn he was gonna pass out, "Explode? You mean like it'll die?"

"NO! I mean as in KABOOM! As in MUSHROOM CLOUD! BAD!"

Sportacus ran over, looking from Robbie to the controls and back, "What can I do?????"

The machine began to beep faster and louder, more steam pouring out of every little space. Robbie backed up with his arm covering half of his face, pushing Sportacus back with him.

"It's too late! It's gonna blow!"

Sportacus held on to Robbie's arm, "What? ROBBIE!"

The machine exploded in a bright flash. The light engulf them both, followed by a loud boom. The explosion sent many things flying and whizzing about. It was only moments before it was all over and the entire liar was dead silent.

------------

"Mmmneh…"

Robbie's right eye slowly opened, adjusting to the dim light. He felt dizzy and tingly and he opened his other eye slowly. From what he could see, the lair was a mess. Robbie lifted his head slightly. His entire body ached. It didn't help that he was covered by wood and his bed sheets that he used for naps on his chair.

Closing his eyes, Robbie slowly but surely rose from the debris, shaking away the dust from his body. If his body could talk, it'd be swearing at him for putting it through the pain it was going through. Robbie grumbled to himself.

"Some genius I am. Guess I have to start all over."

However, when Robbie opened his eyes, things weren't the same. Everything that was still intact seemed to be…well, taller. A lot taller. Robbie cocked his head. It didn't make sense. Maybe the explosion caused him to get smaller. If it did, it didn't make sense. The elements he used in the production of the machine didn't include size changing. Slowly, he began to walk to wear the machine, which was amazingly, still somewhat intact. But as he walked, Robbie heard little clicking noises. When he stopped, the noise stopped.

"Hello? Anyone there?"

When he didn't get an answer, Robbie shrugged and continued walking. There it was again, the clicking noise. Not only that, but Robbie could feel something dragging behind him. Maybe one of his light chains or shower curtains. Turning around, he was ready to yank off whatever was attached to him, but nothing was there.

"Huh?"

Robbie looked all about behind him until he suddenly noticed his nose. _What?! My nose!_ His nose, or what used to be his nose, was now orange and long, like a muzzle. Robbie back peddled in surprise, tripping over his feet and falling backwards. He yipped in sudden pain and zipped back up on his feet. Looking behind him, Robbie saw what was dragging behind him.

A long, orange and white fluffy tail.

Robbie shook slightly as he stared at the limb that flowed behind him. _Good god, I hope not…_Robbie ran for the costume line up, pushing through broken benches and furniture. He made his way to his mirror that hung in dangles over the floor. A cloth covered the fragile glass and Robbie slowly tugged the material down. He was silent and his eyes went wide as he stared at himself in the mirror.

Robbie had transformed into a fox.

The white fur on his chest heaved up and down as he breathed hard. Robbie sat down, slowly gathering his wits. _Okay, come on. Think! What could have happened…_Just then he remembered…_Sportacus._ Robbie bounded down from the platform and searched near the machine.

"Sportacus?? Sportacus where are you?"

His new ears picked up the sound of movement near the spot Robbie had emerged, so he darted over. Piles of wood and cloth covered the floor, no where showing the shape of an elf…or even another animal.

"Sportacus?"

A little pile of cloth by Robbie's feet began to move. Robbie leaned down, almost poking the moving bump with his nose. Little, tiny grunts could be heard, and unconsciously, Robbie sniffed it. Suddenly, out from under the white sheet a little nose popped out and pressed against Robbie's. Robbie's eyes popped open wider at the touch of the little pink nose. The tiny little muzzle formed a big smile, and a little gray and black face with happily closed eyes emerged from the sheet, still draped over the head.

"Sportacus?"

"Robbie! That was kinda fun! We went flying, like WHEE!"

"Sportacus…Look at me…"

Sportacus opened his eyes and his smile quickly disappeared. He saw a large orange, furry face in front of him. His head cocked to the side as his mouth hung open in wonder.

"What happened to you? And why are you so big?"

Robbie slid a little piece of broken mirror across to him, "Take a look at yourself, you little rodent."

Taking up the little piece of mirror, Sportacus held it out in front of him and blinked. Large pink and black ears replaced his pointed elf ones and little lines of black outline his eyes. Looking behind him, Sportacus saw a long gray and black tail. A black stripe followed up his back and over between his ears and down his nose. All that really remained of his original self was a little tuff of dark, golden blond fur between his ears.

Sportacus had turned into a sugar glider.

"Whoa…" Sportacus glanced at Robbie, "And you're a fox!"

"Good job, smart one. The question is why." Robbie began to look over the machine again.

Sportacus glanced back down at himself in the mirror, moving his ears side to side. A smile plastered itself on his face again and he began to make faces at himself. Giggling, he put the mirror back down and stretched. His tail swayed from side to side behind him, sweeping across the floor. Standing up on all fours, Sportacus was about to join Robbie at the machine until a little spot of blue on the floor caught his eye. Dashing over, he grabbed the little blue cloth and nearly squealed with happiness.

Robbie examined the machine closely, his eyes straining to identify some sort of problem. The main pane? Nothing. The barrel? Nothing. There seemed to be nothing wrong with the machine that would lead him to some sort of conclusion.

Sportacus hopped down from a rafter onto the long barrel of the machine, "Know what happened, yet?"

"No, I don't know wha-" Robbie stopped mid-sentence as soon as he looked at Sportacus, "Where'd you find that?"

Sportacus pawed his hat and goggles self consciously, "I dunno. I just found them."

"But how?"

"I dunno. You're confusing me."

"None of my clothes are still around. Why is your hat and goggles?"

Sportacus shifted uncomfortably, "Because they have elf magic protecting them?"

Robbie eyed him, "Do they?"

"Yeah."

Robbie snorted in disgust. Leave it to the elf to be all protective and finicky about his hat and goggles. Turning, Robbie now looked at the control he had for the machine. His eyes swept across each button, and as soon as they glanced at a certain button, Robbie's sighed in irritation.

"Son of a…"

Sportacus blinked in confusion, "Huh? What's up?"

"This is what's up."

Sportacus bounded over and sat next to the controls.

"See this button?"

Sportacus looked at the button Robbie's nose pointed to, "Yeah."

"This is the settings button. It controls what the object is turned into. When we did it on the apple, we had it on original form…when it exploded…" Robbie sighed again, "It was set to the other setting…"

Sportacus looked at the panel, "It says….Optional form?"

"Yeah."

"What's that mean?"

"It means, Sportamouse, that we were transformed into the form of being that we would have been if we had been part of the animal, or non-human like, beings."

"Ooohhhh..."

Robbie frowned and turned away. Sportacus watched as he slowly walked to what remained of his big, orange, fuzzy chair and sat down in it. Robbie laid his head on the arm rest and sighed, his ears drooping. Sportacus hopped down from the little platform the controls was on and bounded over to the chair, hopping up onto the same arm rest Robbie's head was on.

"Robbie?"

"What?"

"What's the matter?"

"Just…leave me alone for a bit…"

"Why?"

Robbie closed his eyes, "So I can think."

"About what?"

Robbie growled, "About how I'm going to get us out of this mess…"

Sportacus cowered slightly. When Robbie was human and growled, he sounded scary enough. Being a fox now only made it scarier. Sportacus tugged his hat farther down on his head.

He turned to hop down from the chair, "Okay, Robbie."

"If only there was some way to reverse the chemical reaction…"

Sportacus stopped, "Huh?"

"The only reason we changed was because of the chemical reaction between the elements and intensive heat and energy. If only there was some anti-solution we could somehow receive to break up the chemical bonds and-"

Robbie's eyes popped open. His ears perked up to full height, alert. Sportacus looked at him curiously. _Now what?_ Robbie didn't say anything. He just stared at the far wall.

"Robbie?"

"Sportacus, strap on your goggles."

"Huh? Why?"

"We're taking a little trip."

* * *

AN  
Hark! Kami is back...with FUR. 

Never fear, my readers. Creme, Venom and Craving are NOT out of commission...I was. Lol. There came a time where I just couldn't do any writing. Therefore, the stories were unfortunetely neglected. I feel bad. But upon working alone one day in a lonely antique store, my writing senses returned to me and I sat and wrote this entire chapter to this fic, started another new one, and continued to work on the fourth installment of Venom. Soon, all my stories should be updated.  
Now, this fic. Much, much time planned. I've had this idea stashed away for some time. The idea sprung from a conversation with Smile-san, in which we decided the spirit animals of Robbie and Sportacus were the fox and the sugarglider. When the temptation came, this chapter rolled off of my fingers like honey of a tongue. If you love it so far...It will only get better.  
Someone's gonna ask why Sportacus's goggles and hat were spared from the explosion...Elf magic...Lol. His little tuff of his original hair was just to keep him different than others. Robbie has a special feature too, but that'll be brought up in the next chapter.  
Chapter titles will be the song titles done by Will Smith, something like Smile-san did with one of her fics.

Lots of love!


	2. Wave Em Off

After much effort, Robbie got the opening to his home opened enough to let him and Sportacus out. Once they were both out, Sportacus took the time to notice Robbie in his new form as the fox stretched freely. The pretty shine of Robbie's orange fur in the sun made Sportacus himself feel warm and cozy on the inside, like sitting around a fire when it's snowing outside.

After a yawn, Robbie slowly started to sulk towards town. His body still ached from the explosion and his eyes were still adjusting to the bright sun light. His mind was full of questions as he walked, many pertaining to the journey ahead of them. The big one on his mind at the moment was how he and the little marsupial were going to get across town without being noticed. Sportacus could easily make it across, being so small he could hop up on the tail end of a truck and make it to town unnoticed. But foxes were a different thing. No, medium-sized, orange furred dogs with big, overly fluffy tails were not a common sight for LazyTown.

Once they had crossed into public areas, Robbie could feel himself get tense. Just the thought of being spotted was starting to terrify him. It didn't help that it was pure day light outside. Sportacus, on the other hand, walked behind him like it had been the same old day it was yesterday. He still didn't know where they were going, but Sportacus was going there with Robbie and he was damn excited about it. Robbie spotted a bunch of bushes and made a dash for them. Sportacus stopped momentarily before chasing after him, the leaves rustling as the little sugar glider jumped into them.

"Rob-"

"SHH!"

Robbie peered over the wall that out lined the park. Looking from side to side, his eyes surveyed the area. Not a child or person was in sight. _Good._ The regular kids were gone, but there had been sightings of random new children galloping about this side of town. Luckily, there were none today. Robbie exited the bushes and started walking down the path. Sportacus hopped out of the bushes, looked around momentarily, and finally followed Robbie again.

"What was that all about?"

"We can't be seen."

"Huh? Why?"

"Because it's not every day you see a fox in LazyTown…" Robbie looked down at Sportacus, "Or a nocturnal mouse-like creature out in pure day light."

Sportacus twitched his nose, "So?"

"So…you'd more than likely be heading to the pet store and I'd be sent either to the zoo or even maybe a testing facility…or have my skin hanging on the wall."

Sportacus squeaked, "But! That's illegal!"

"That doesn't stop people from doing it, now does it?"

Sportacus snorted in a way that sounded like a low bark. Stupid hunters. He didn't mind it if the hunting was done for food. That was understandable, but when it came to shooting animals for pretty fur, among other things, Sportacus had no tolerance. _If anyone DARES to look at Robbie and point a gun at him…_Robbie, on the other hand, didn't seem too worried about the entire idea. Initially, he had been kidding, but after a little thought, it did occur to Robbie the possibility of being targeted by someone in the woods was rather high. It was soon to be hunting season, and Robbie wasn't sure how long it'd take them to get to their final destination. _I'll worry about that when it comes up._

Farther and farther they went into town, their pace rather slow. Robbie swallowed hard. He knew this town well…which didn't make it any easier when he realized he and Sportacus had to go through downtown to get to the other side of LazyTown. His ears slowly started to droop and pin back against his head. Getting through downtown was going to be difficult. It wasn't just the people he was worried about, but downtown had many merchant shops with plenty of fresh picked fruits and vegetables on sale. He'd have to keep Sportacus unaware of the Sports candy.

Robbie's keen ears began to pick up on strange faint sounds. _People._ The orange fox snuck to the side of the closest building, inching his way to the corner, Sportacus following closely. Peeking around the corner, Robbie gazed into the street. Sure enough, there was downtown. He snorted. There were too many people around. Not enough quiet. However, Robbie did make the observation that there weren't as many people there today as there usually were. Sportacus peered around the corner below Robbie, standing between his two front legs. He smiled widely at the sight of people and downtown. The elf loved new experiences.

A sweet scent filled Sportacus's little nose. He sniffed once, smiling soon after and raising his nose higher in the air to take in more of the luxurious smell. Slowly, the little sugar glider left his little perch between Robbie's fore legs and walked out from the cover of the corner, sniffing the air. Robbie heard Sportacus's quiet sniffles and glanced down with a disgusted face.

"What are you doing?"

"Robbie…can you…can you smell that?"

"Get your keester back here."

"Smells like…" Sportacus smelled again, "Apple blossoms!"

Just the idea of there being apples in the vicinity made Sportacus wanna squeal and do cart wheels. His little stomach was hungry, and god damnit if an apple didn't sound good at the moment…He made a leap towards the small marketplace before him, but crashed to the ground. Turning around, Sportacus whined. Robbie had stepped on his tail.

"Robbie!"

Robbie pulled him back by his tail, "Did I not tell you to keep from sight?"

"But…But Robbie!"

"Don't you BUT me," Robbie glared up the street at the vending carts and booths. "We're gonna have to find a way through there."

Sportacus pouted, "Why don't we just take the alley ways then, huh, Mr. No Apples!?"

Robbie growled, "Because we can't get to the proper alley way that we need. There's a certain one that we need to take out of town. And it's all the way on the other side of this Market place."

Robbie's eyes surveyed the area. Bushes were lined down the sidewalk and behind the vender booths. Robbie followed the bushes on his side with his eyes before letting his eyes wander to the first booth. His eye brows rose in discovery. The booths had table cloths over them and they were hollow beneath.

"Sportacus."

"What?"

"Follow me."

Robbie quickly darted around the corner and into the first thick bush. Sportacus quickly darted after Robbie, diving into the greens in one giant leap. His head bopped into Robbie's hip, which was crouched down low. His ears were pinned back to his head to keep them from poking out the top of the bush. Slowly, Robbie crept through the branches and small trunks of the bush, careful not to make too much noise.

Finally the two reached the first booth. Robbie could see the owner standing behind the booth, happily chatting to a nearby acquaintance. He snarled mentally. Moving under the booth now would mean sure discovery.

"Robbie, why don't we-"

"Shh."

Robbie watched the legs carefully, waiting for the perfect opportunity to run. The legs moved, walking around to the side of the booth and on out into the street. _There's our chance._ Robbie darted under the booth, the cloth slowly folding back to the ground once he was through. Sportacus quickly followed, grabbing a stray strawberry the man had on his chair. Once under the safety of the booth, Sportacus began to munch happily on the strawberry. His lips smacked together has he greedily gobbled the little berry up. Robbie looked back at him and snarled quietly.

"Come on."

Licking his fingers clean, Sportacus followed with his tail erect above him. The booths luckily were all connected so they didn't need to dart through deadly gaps. Robbie was still leery. Little kids could easily pick up the covers because of their curiosity, or produce could easily roll underneath, only to have a human follow in pursuit.

Farther and farther they traveled under the tables. Robbie could sense they were close to the end. He smelled the air. The scents of produce and other goods were getting fainter. Hitting the end of another booth, Robbie discovered there was no booth following. Poking his nose underneath the cloth, Robbie peered out and grinned. _All clear._ Raising to full height, Robbie began to cautiously exit.

"All clear Sportacus…Sportacus?"

Robbie looked behind him. Sportacus wasn't there. His eyes got wide as he started to panic. Where could have the little rodent gone to? Robbie looked everywhere around him. His hair stood on end when he spotted the little critter.

Robbie yelled in a hushed voice, "SPORTACUS!"

Sportacus was perched on a booth not too far away, grabbing at the finest apples in all the land. The booth's owner was yet to spot the little sugar glider, but the risk was still there. Not that Sportacus was thinking about that risk at the moment. His mind was all about the fruits. Grabbing an apple Sportacus bit into it greedily and sighed happily. _Heavenly…_It was heavenly until the shopkeeper spotted him.

"HEY!"

Sportacus opened eyes and gasped.

"Get 'ur grubby fingers off my produce!"

The man was about the grab Sportacus when Robbie came up from under the booths and grabbed Sportacus's tail, pulling him down under with him. Sportacus shook his head in disbelief.

"Robbie?"

"COME ON WE GOTTA GO NOW!"

Robbie could hear the man's roars and screams of "A fox or Wild dog!" Robbie grabbed Sportacus's tail and ran to the end of the row. He looked like a streak of orange as soon as he exited the carpet, people shouting of terror, disbelief, or amusement of a fox pulling a sugar glider along. Robbie felt things whiz over the top of his head. People were throwing random objects at him in attempt to stop him. Robbie darted around the corner of the street just in time to hear behind him, "You better not come back ere,' AIGHT?"

-----------------------------------

Robbie slowed to a trot as he turned into an alley way far away from the market place. He still held Sportacus's tail carefully between his teeth, the little sugar glider swinging and cringing in pain below. Finally, Robbie came to a stop, looking behind him to make sure there were no followers. There were none. The fox sighed, dropping Sportacus to the ground and then continuing to walk down the alley. Sportacus hit the ground with a grunt, sitting up quickly to inspect his tail. _No damage._ Quickly, he sprang to his feet and chased after Robbie.

"Uh, Robbie?"

"…"

"Uh…thanks for sav-"

"What did I tell you before we headed into that mess?"

Sportacus's ears drooped lower beneath his hat, "To not mess with the produce and stay out of sight…"

"And did you do that?"

"No…I'm sorry."

Robbie snorted, "Forget about it."

Sportacus looked up at Robbie. He NEVER forgave anybody real quickly, not like that he ever did. As unusual as it was, Sportacus decided not to question. _Maybe he just doesn't feel like being angry because it might make things harder than they already are…_Robbie walked slowly with his tail swaying behind him, one ear pinned back against his head as his other drooped. His eyes drooped half closed in a relaxed manner, which Sportacus found odd. Robbie was always so tense in sticky situations and this was the stickiest of all stickiness. But…Robbie seemed so relaxed and easy.

Sportacus was about to open his mouth and ask when he heard a quiet rumble. Robbie's ears perked up fully, having caught the sound as well. Then there was another rumble. Robbie's eyes opened wide as he sniffed the air. Sportacus could see the hair on the back of his neck raise slightly. He jumped when the rumble turned into a voice.

"Well, well, well…"

Two large dogs exited from a pile of old, soggy boxes. They stood in the middle of the large alley with smug, cocky grins on their faces. Robbie stopped and stood up straight, not saying a thing. Sportacus did the same.

The smaller of the two, a black and white pitbull mix, clicked his tongue, "Trespassers on our turf. We got ourselves a goldie-locks."

The other, a boxer, stared at Sportacus, "And look, Boss! He brought his little kitty pet."

Sportacus's back leg quivered.

"So what'cha doin' on our turf, eh Fluffy?"

"The Boss asked you a question, Fluffy!"

Robbie cleared his throat, "Excuse me. We're not from around here, and we were-"

"Did you hear that, Rip? 'We're not from around here.'"

"And we were just passing through."

"Oh really?"

"Yes."

The pitbull strutted in front of Robbie, both of them inching closer to him and Sportacus, "You don't realize who you're dealing with, do you?"

Robbie's eyes narrowed. _Every single species has its idiots._ Robbie didn't move, standing tall, his eyes moving slowly as the two mutts moved closer. Sportacus inched closer to Robbie, almost beneath his legs. He had a sudden strong sense of fear. Sportacus wasn't the one who was bigger than the other…No, it was the other way around, and the odds were definitely not in the small sugar glider's favor.

The pitbull nudged his nose almost into Robbie's face. Inside Robbie's mind, he wanted to gag. The thing smelled…and bad. Rip stared at Sportacus, causing him to tremble.

"I run this joint. The name's…Brutus. And my accomplice…Rip."

Rip licked his chops, "I like cats…" He took one big step towards Sportacus, "I like to eat them…with ketchup…"

Sportacus crept himself under Robbie fully now, near scared out of his wits. Robbie puckered his lips and swept them to the side in thought. His eye brow rose sarcastically.

"Aren't ya gonna say something, Goldie? Either you say something or you give us the cat and leave."

"You heard the boss…Give over the cat."

Sportacus shuddered, but tried to regain himself. His tail curled behind him and his nose twitched. _What am I doing? I'm Sportacus! I'm not scared of ANYTHING!_ With all his might, he tried to fester a little growl. A snarl from Rip made his back leg quicker harder. _Aw, man. What are we gonna do? Even Robbie isn't responding…_But as soon as Sportacus thought the notion, a sound was heard from Robbie. Sportacus only looked at the fox with a confused expression.

Robbie was snickering.

"What's your problem, Goldie?"

"You're stupid."

"What?"

Robbie shrugged and turned his head to the side, "You're stupid. Simple as that. Anyone could see that."

The two strays growled. Robbie didn't look at them, but started to walk slowly in their direction, a little bounce in his step.

"Then again, you're not anyone."

Robbie was now slowly striding between them, Sportacus still beneath him.

"You're the riff raff of town. And not the good riff raff either." Robbie stuck his nose in the air, "The riff raff crap that would make babies cry at sight…or smell as it seems to be."

With that Robbie swatted his tail and hit Brutus in the face, emitting louder growls from both mutts. Sportacus would have laughed loudly if he had been out of complete danger. Robbie continued strutting himself down the alley way. At the far end of the alley was a construction site, a large dirt area fenced in by a high, barbed wire circuit fence. Machinery lay about in random places, and there were very large, long cylinders stacked in a pile. Nearby, a large crane was moving cylinders to another pile.

The strays ran to catch up with Robbie, irritated to have been insulted in such a way.

"What'd you say, pretty boy?"

"It's obvious he's not a cat."

"What are you? Some sort of scientist?"

Robbie kept his nose high in the air, "Maybe."

Robbie hopped into one of the cylinders, Sportacus quickly with him. The fox turned around, his legs firmly planted shoulder width apart. His face was plastered with a sly, mighty look. The two mutts snarled loudly.

"Who do you think you are, country boy?"

"Ooo. That tone of voice gets you nowhere. Didn't your mother teach you that? Oh, that's right. You're strays. You don't have mothers."

Brutus snorted, ready to dart into the cylinder at Robbie, "You think you're so smart. Brains ain't gonna get you out of this mess, Goldie."

Sportacus was pushed forward by an invisible jolt beneath him. The cylinder Robbie and Sportacus stood in was shaking slightly.

"Well, actually…" Robbie commented. The crane grabbed the cylinder with Robbie and Sportacus in it and lifted it in the air and started moving it to the other pile. "It just did." The cylinder rotated slightly, moving Sportacus and Robbie closer to the fence. A tree just on the other side of the fence had a single, thick branch hanging slightly over the steel fence.

Robbie turned slightly and grinned widely, "Later, mutts!"

With that, Robbie turned fully, ran down the cylinder and jumped out of the other end, landing on the thick branch safely. Sportacus quickly gave an over exaggerated and ran after Robbie, leaping out and landing on the branch safely behind Robbie. Grinning down at Sportacus, Robbie Brutus and Rip grunted and ran in the direction Robbie had jumped, unaware of the tall fence.

"Hey, blondie! Where ya goin?"

"Yeah! Where ya go-URP"

Both the strays ran into the fence, the metal clashing with noise and both dogs yipping in surprise. Brutus hopped to his feet and rubbed his nose with is paw. He snorted and looked up. Robbie walked along a thick, strong branch on a different tree, moving away from the construction area. Brutus snarled. _This isn't over, blondie…_ He turned to his counterpart, who sat shaking the dust of his muzzle.

"You IDIOT!"

----------------------------------

Robbie crouched down and hopped down from the tree, his fluffy tail flowing behind him. His ears twitched and he turned his head back towards the construction area. He could hear the two strays argue and Robbie smiled to himself, shaking his head. Sportacus slid down the trunk of the tree and scurried next to Robbie. He too turned and listened to the bickering mutts. A wide open grin plastered the little sugar glider's face.

With a sigh, Robbie turned back and started walking into the thick, green forest. Sportacus looked at Robbie and back to the construction area, slowly starting to follow Robbie until he entirely turned and ran to Robbie's side. As they walked, Sportacus couldn't help but admire how sneaky Robbie really was. The way he had just outsmarted those stray dogs without getting into an actual physical fight was…really cool. And even more surprising was that it was actually somewhat mature. Usually, Robbie was like a little kid when it came to fights. But this was different. Way different. _Just another one of Robbie's mysteries._

They continued to walk through the dense forest, sun light piercing through leaves and foliage above. Sportacus watched as the scenery passed them. His mind wasn't really on Robbie anymore…more of just where they were going. Robbie had yet to tell him where they were going and it slightly bothered Sportacus. Maybe Robbie didn't really know where he was going. Maybe he was just getting them out of LazyTown to start a new life. Sportacus stared at the ground as he walked, immersed in his own thoughts. He was so deep in his thoughts he ran right into a random boulder.

Sportacus hit the rock with a grunt-like yip, falling back on his rear. On instinct, he grabbed his nose and rubbed it. Poor thing. It was a lot longer than his original nose. He needed to watch it. Sportacus shook his head slightly, then opened his eyes. Robbie was a ways up the path, and the little sugar glider got up quickly to pursue his counterpart. Much to his surprise, the fox wasn't moving.

"Robbie?"

No response.

Sportacus looked at Robbie as he hopped on the rock next to the fox, "Robbie, why'd you-"

Sportacus's eyes drifted to what Robbie's keen, serious eyes were peering at. A gasp escaped his muzzle when he saw the scenery in front of him. Rolling mountains with large trees quilted the land with brilliant greens and emeralds. A crystal blue strip of water slithered its way through the green, sparkling in the sun. Sportacus had never seen such a sight from his air ship. Never would he have believed such a sight lay outside of LazyTown.

"…Okay."

Sportacus looked at Robbie as the fox began to walk down the hill, "Robbie?"

Robbie didn't respond. Sportacus hopped from the rock and followed. Old questions resurfaced, but new ones accompanied them. The two disappeared in the brushes of the hill, silent as can be.

-------------------------

Back in LazyTown, a small little saloon hummed with piano music. The bartender grabbed a few fliers on his desk, paging through them as he walked to his bulletin board. One by one, they were placed on the wall with a tack. He tilted his head as he read the last one.

"What yeh lookin' at?"

The bartender held the flier out in front of him, "Well, this flier here."

"Whut about it?"

"Says here that huntin' season starts in a few days."

"Didn't know it?"

"Well, I thought I had a few weeks. Lost track of time, I guess."

He tacked the flier on the board and walked back behind the bar. The lone, gangly looking man tapped a shot glass on the counter. He stroked his scratchy whiskers all the while. The bartender sighed and rubbed a glass clean.

"Guess I'll need to order in some more whisky. Lots of hunters, I'm expectin'."

"Yup. They'll all be lookin' for the same old buck or the same old bear."

The bartender started wiping the bar top, "I'm sure you'll be ready to beat them to those trophies, eh?"

"Nope."

The bartender looked at him strangely, "You're not?"

"They can have those filthy things. I want me a real challenge."

"Oh? And just what are you going to get?"

The dirty man leaned back on his stool, the leaned forward on the bar on his elbows and grinned, his one shiny, gold tooth glittering in the dim light.

"I gonna get me a fox."

* * *

AN  
Howdy, everybody! I'm sorry about my lack of updates, but it's getting hard to do some writing in college. My creativity levels...down. Writing time...down. It's sad. I wanna work on these stories so hard. College sucks, because of that fact. But I try. Hell, I'm not even getting sketches done and I'm sad about that too. Well, then again it doesn't help that I'm with my friend Kevin til' late hours playing Halo 3, eh?

Anyways! Back to the chapter. I've been writing this over the course of a few months. You know how you wish you could show visually instead of through typing? Yeah. This was partially one of those chapters. I'm anxious for getting into the later chapters of this story, just because of all the new ideas that popped into my head as I finished the chapter last night. But otherwise...there really isn't much to say about the chapter.

Enjoy!


	3. The Rain

The sun shined brightly above the heavy trees of the forest, bringing cool shade to the creatures underneath the canopies. A light breeze slithered its way into the maze of trees, bringing fresh air to the animals that made their home there. Birds were chirping wildly as frogs croaked in response. A thin path winded its way through the foliage, and a ways up that path walked a fox and a small rodent.

"Robbie, where we goin'?"

"Trenmill City."

Sportacus scrunched his nose, "Never heard of it."

"Nor should you have."

"Why?"

Robbie sighed, "Because it's a highly concentrated scientific area. You wouldn't understand."

Sportacus panted slightly, not bothering to respond to Robbie's explanation. Something was bothering him. He was physically tired from all the trotting to keep up with his fox companion. Ha, tired from running. That was one sentence that was never in Sportacus's dialogue. _I'm tired from running._ Sportacus? Tired from running? Impossible. What made it worse was this strange urge deep in Sportacus's belly. It made his long tail quiver and swing violently. It confused the little sugar glider.

Robbie stopped for a moment to yawn. Opening his mouth wide, he gulped in air, releasing it with a sigh. His long tongue clicked and his eyes blinked slowly. Slowly Robbie lowered himself and stretched much like a dog would. The fox was stiff, but not as stiff as he usually was when he was a human. As a man, Robbie would never had walked this far. It amazed him.

"Anyways, I know someone there that might be able to help us." Robbie rose back to his normal stance, "He's as much as a genius as I am, if not more in some areas and-why is your tail swinging around so much?"

Sportacus looked at his tail quickly and grabbed it self-consciously, "I don't know."

Robbie raised his eyebrow.

"Um, Robbie? Can I ask something of you?"

"….You can ask, but that doesn't mean it'll happen."

"Can….can I ride on you?"

"…."

"Please?"

Without a word, Robbie began to walk again at an unusually quick pace. Sportacus crabbed in protest and chased after him. Of all the times Robbie had to be ornery….

"PLEASE??"

"No."

"Why?"

"Do you even NEED an explanation?"

Sportacus fidgeted, "But Robbie, I NEED to climb on something. Trees aren't going to do it. Rocks are no good either! Please, Robbie!"

Robbie sighed, "I forgot. Sugar gliders basically go everywhere in the pockets of their owners or at least on something. Only time they're trying to get somewhere and they'll do something themselves is when they jump and fly. But that does not mean under any circumstances that you are gonna-"

Robbie felt something latch onto his tail. Swinging his head around, he spotted a little gray tuff known as Sportacus hugging his tail with a grin on his face. The little sugar glider's paws clung to the soft fur.

"Hey, HEY!"

Robbie swung his tail up, causing Sportacus to almost go flying into the air. Sportacus grabbed onto the fur at the end of Robbie's tail. He crabbed in protest but was quickly silenced when he looked at Robbie. Robbie stood his tail fully up so that Sportacus was hanging high and shook it up and down slightly.

"Do I look like a taxi service to you?"

"But Robbie!"

"DO I?"

"Well, I don't-"

"OH, ho, ho, ho! Lookie here, Margy! Those rumors be true, you betcha!"

Robbie and Sportacus shot their heads up and stared at the tree. A pileated woodpecker sat in the tree, watching the two contently. Its beak formed a smile beneath its hood of red feathers. It snickered and pointed at Robbie and Sportacus with a long feather.

"Margy! Margy! See, see? Ya can't be a lyin,' that there be da two they all be a talkin' about!"

A little goldfinch flew from another tree and perched next to the woodpecker. She was a tiny, little bird, her feathers a brilliant yellow with the tips of her wings black as night. She squinted down at the fox and glider.

"Why, you're right, Busby! Those are the two all right."

Robbie cocked his eye brow. His ears adjusted themselves, turning closer to the two birds sitting on the branch. Sportacus remained clinging to Robbie's tail, intrigued with the birds. He had never seen birds like this before. LazyTown had little robins and that was about it. Occasionally a flock of ducks or geese flew over as they migrated south for the winter. Birds weren't sold in the pet store either…well, it sold parrots and pigeons, but Sportacus got tired of them, especially after a parrot in the store made fun of him and his little mustache, calling him Mr. Pointy-Two-Whisker-Face. _Stupid Parrot…_

"Now I can go tell all the gals that I saw the new comers. They'll be so excited!" The goldfinch fluffed up her feathers and spread her wings, about to take off.

Robbie narrowed his eyes, "Hold the phone."

He shot his tail down quickly. Sportacus lost grip and fell to the ground, hitting it with a thud and grunt. His little gray fir was covered from dust, and he sneezed, shaking his head to get out all the kinks. Robbie ran to the branch and skidded to a stop, looking up at the birds.

"Whoa, whoa. Wait a minute!"

The goldfinch and woodpecker stopped. The little finch looked at Robbie curiously.

"Yes, hun?"

"What's this about rumors?"

"Hm?"

"Who's talking about us?"

"Oh!" She stroked her feathers on her chest down, giving Robbie a rather strange look, "The other animals that live here."

"And da rest of dos on de other side of da mountain, don't cha know? And the forest beyond dat and-"

"You're quite the celebrities around here."

"We've only been walking through this forest for a few hours."

The little goldfinch batted her eyes a little bit, "Well, you know how folks are. They see a glimpse of someone new in the forest and the news has to spread…Especially when one of them is a handsome, orange fox with a black tuff of fur on his head. Very rare for foxes."

Robbie scrunched his nose and pinned his ears back in slight annoyance. No one ever told him he was handsome, or anything nice for that matter. He wasn't sure if he liked it or not…The two birds seemed to almost be like the kind of people Robbie hated. Gossipers, people with no time but to get dirt or help spread rumors. Disgusting.

Sportacus's tail swayed behind in him in curiosity, a tiny little grin forming on his little muzzle. The little finch was right. Robbie was quite the handsome fox. Like Sportacus, Robbie retained a little bit of his old self. The black tuff of hair was slicked back similar to the way Robbie wore it as a human, only without the gel, and got shorter as it went behind his head, forming a stripe back between his ears and ending just above the back of the neck. Sportacus thought it made him look sharp.

Robbie allowed his tail to fall down behind him and flow with the little breeze in the air. His entire body was tense, much as it always was all his life. He did finally soften his face after a few moments and tried to relax himself. _I'll never see them again after I'm cured…It's gonna be just fine._

"May I ask who you are?"

The little finch chirped happily, "Oh I thought you'd never ask! My name is Margy. I am a goldfinch from the south side of this giant forest!"

The woodpecker rocked back in forth as if in a rocking chair, "N' day a call me Busby. I'm a woodpecka, don't cha know?" Busby made a little pointing gesture towards Robbie, "What ye fellers call yerselves?"

Sportacus jumped up, "I'm Sportacus! I'm a sugar glider, but I'm not really a sugar glider, I'm actually an e-"

Robbie shoved a finger from his paw into Sportacus's mouth. Sportacus grunted in shock, eyeing Robbie annoyingly. Robbie shot back a quick glare before returning his attention to the birds and softening his expression.

"I'm Robbie. We come from a small village out west."

Margy flew down and perched on Robbie's head, "Robert, hm? That's a pretty name, especially for foxes."

Robbie said nothing.

She sat down in his black fur and played with the tip of one of the foxes ears, "Very suiting. I once knew a fox named Roberto. But he was eaten by a bear. Not nearly as handsome as you though."

Robbie wanted to snarl. _Stupid flirt._

"But my poor little soul," Margy looked back down at Sportacus, "I don't reckon I've seen a little sugar glider before. Quite a cute little thing, aren't you?"

Sportacus blushed slightly and laughed quietly.

By now, Margy had left Robbie's ear alone and slowly walked down to the tip of his nose. She turned around and smiled warmly at Robbie, who in turn was heavily annoyed. Where did this bird get off that she could flirt with another species? He especially didn't like the fact she wouldn't get off him. Margy hummed a quiet little song, before she hopped once on his nose.

"So, where you heading, hun?"

Robbie sighed, "Well we really are just cutting across-"

Robbie was cut off by the strange feeling of someone handling his tail. His head whipped around, nearly throwing Margy off and Robbie saw Busby messing with his tail. Busby had rested the big ball of fluff across his shoulders, cuddling the fur as if it was a soft scarf. Sportacus was giggling as he watched the woodpecker. He was certainly an interesting character.

"Hey, der, Sportacus! This here Robbie has the nicest, softest fur!"

Sportacus stomped his feet in amusement, "Uh huh!"

"Might have to steal it for my own good, don' cha know?"

Robbie pinned his ears back and thrust his tail upwards, releasing it from the grasps of Busby. Busby just looked at Robbie while Sportacus gave a sigh of disappointment. Robbie just didn't want to have any fun, it seemed to Sportacus. The woodpecker leaned down and shielded his beak from Robbie's view and whispered.

"Sensitive guy, ain't he?"

Robbie sighed. He wanted to go. There was a lot of ground to cover and they weren't getting anywhere. Robbie's big blue eyes went back to Margy on his nose. She was humming a different tune happily, rocking back and forth with her eyes closed. Robbie didn't know whether to be intrigued by this little bird or irritated. Either way, she needed to get off.

"Well, if you will excuse us."

Margy opened her eyes and looked at Robbie curiously.

"We should get going."

"Aw, so soon, hun?"

Robbie was not fond of his new pet name, "Yes. We've got a ways to go."

"Well, all right."

Margy flew off Robbie's nose and back into the tree, Busby soon joining her. Robbie took a moment to look the two birds over. They were quite the odd couple…much like him and Sportacus. Both of them were different, yet somehow tolerated each other. Margy chirped loudly and hopped once, bending down happily and grinning at the two land animals.

"Well, we're going to head the way you were coming. Big tree berry feed that way and we don't wanna miss it! Now, don't be scared to give us call if you're lonely. Bye, my lovelies! And Robbie, dear…" She gave him another bat of her eyes, "Don't be hesitant to bother me at my home sometime. I will gladly make the time for you."

And with a wave from Busby, they both were off in the general direction Robbie and Sportacus had come from. Sportacus waved after them, smiling widely. They were nice birds and made Sportacus wonder what other animals in the vicinity were like. Sportacus was getting excited. He didn't know who'd they meet or what they'd discover on this journey. It was…literally an ADVENTURE. Sportacus loved adventures and his tail waved back and forth in excitement.

Robbie snorted at the last comment from Margy and pinned his ears back again. Animals were just like people, annoying and smug. Not that he really wasn't surprised at it, really. Robbie just wasn't prepared really for the new reactions to his fox form. In LazyTown, he was looked down upon as a human. Now, as a fox in the wild, he seemed to be thought highly of or something…_Foxes must be some sort of status symbol…like attractiveness or suaveness. Figures._

"Come on, Sportacus."

Robbie started walking again, his ears slowly lifting back up into their original position. Sportacus gave a final wave and turned, chasing back after Robbie. Once he caught up to Robbie, the little sugar glider looked up at his fox companion and grinned happily.

"Hey, Robbie!"

"Hm?"

"Who else you think we're going to meet on this crazy adventure?"

"Animals no different than people."

Sportacus crabbed, "I can't wait!"

Robbie sighed. Leave it to the ex-elf to be the so gleeful and care free factor of a trip. Robbie looked up the path and saw nothing more than trees, grass and rocks. A sigh escaped his chops. The forest could go on forever if it wanted to and Robbie would have no idea where to go. He was shaken from his thoughts from the tiny voice of Sportacus.

"Hey…Robbie?"

"What?"

"Can I ride you now?"

--

Sportacus got no such mercy from Robbie. The little sugar glider was left to fend for himself on the ground and the poor guy was getting tired from his need to climb and running too far for his little gray and black legs. Robbie, on the other hand, was quite content, continuing his walk at a normal pace. Fatigue wasn't taking him on hard and quite frankly, Robbie could have gone on for a few more hours before he needed to stop.

The sky was growing darker and what used to be day started turning into night. Robbie sniffed the air. The air smelled like night fall. Robbie stretched his neck, making it crack. A little yawn escaped him, causing him to lick his chops. Looking down, Robbie saw that there was no sugar glider prancing beside him. He stopped and looked back to see Sportacus had fallen behind by at least two feet. His little pink tongue was poking out of his little muzzle and his tail dragged behind him, limp as could be. Robbie nearly took pity on Sportacus. He knew how the little guy felt at the moment, since really he was always like that in his human form. It wasn't a good feeling.

Sportacus finally caught up to Robbie and plopped onto the ground next to Robbie's paw. He breathed deeply and groaned slightly in fatigue. He kept hoping Robbie would stop and when he finally did, it was like someone screamed Hallelujah. A word of thank you would escape Sportacus's lips, but they were to busy breathing. Robbie swayed his tail behind him, creating a slight breeze that Sportacus welcomed dearly.

"Why didn't you tell me you were so tired?"

Sportacus looked up at him, "Do you need to ask?"

Robbie snorted, "A pride thing, is it?"

Sportacus nodded.

"Figures."

When Sportacus's breathing had stopped being audible, Robbie's sharp ears started picking up the beginning sounds of crickets ready to serenade the night with their song. Robbie let out another yawn and stretched hard, bending down and curving his back with his front legs stretched before him. It felt good, like one of those preparation stretches before laying down for a good rest. Righting himself, Robbie looked up through the trees and at the sky. _Hm. Maybe we should go for another hour or so. It's still light._ But Robbie's keen fox eyes didn't pick up on the dark clouds moving in with the dark night sky.

And looking down at Sportacus, however, made him think otherwise. Sportacus was completely laying on the ground and his eye lids were half shut, threatening its owner to fall asleep. Robbie sighed. He didn't want to carry Sportacus if he wanted to continue, which meant that they would be indeed staying put for the night. Not exactly what he had wanted to do, but at that moment, rest would probably do them both some good. A sudden soft roll of thunder radiated throughout the trees and into Robbie's ears. Little rain drops slowly started to fall, soon coming down faster to where there was a sheet of dashes before Sportacus's eyes by the time he had opened them. Both Robbie and Sportacus looked to the sky. The rain was coming down heavily and if they were to get any sleep at all, they needed cover.

Robbie surveyed their surroundings, looking for the best place to rest. It needed to keep them out of the rain, and they at least needed some sort of cover to shy away unwanted attention. Robbie knew that places such as this could be difficult to find, especially with many other animals living in the same vicinity. Sportacus by now had run beneath Robbie, looking for cover. Though the fox wasn't the greatest shield from the moisture, he did serve well in giving Sportacus some dry land to sit on for a while. Sportacus edged his way between Robbie's front paws, looking up at him.

"Robbie! We gotta get out of the rain!"

Robbie didn't answer; too busy looking for a place to sleep for the both of them. A big group of bushes next to the trunk of a tree with big fronds covering the roots caught Robbie's eye. Trotting over and leaving Sportacus vulnerable to the rain, he looked at and smelled the area for other life forms. The last thing they needed to do was barge in on some other animal's home and disrupt their privacy. The coast was clear. No other life forms were present. He stood up straight and whistled to Sportacus.

"Sportadork! Over here!"

Sportacus grinned and ran over, skidding to a stop when he reached the fronds. He looked over it as well. It was a great place. Secluded, smelled good, and best of all…it wasn't wet! Robbie climbed in under the fronds and settled in a dip in the ground next to the tree trunk. Fronds growing from the tree projected his head from being dripped on, and he sighed in content, laying his head down on the tree root protruding down into the ground. Sportacus had immediately followed him in. Once under the protective fronds, the little sugar glider took off his hat and wrung it out. The little hat was placed firmly back on his head once all the moisture was out and he sighed contently. _Now I can sleep._ Sportacus looked around and saw the most comfortable place to sleep: Robbie's fluffy tail.

Hopping over to it, Sportacus lay down in the white fur of the tail's tip and snuggled into it. Soon, he was engulfed in a sea of white and warmed from the rain's cool air. Robbie raised his head, feeling an intruder on his tail. Looking back, his eyes spotted Sportacus lounging on his tail.

"Ahem."

Sportacus opened his eyes and looked at Robbie curiously, "Hm?"

Robbie said nothing, just gave him a stare that basically said 'what are you doing?'

"Aw, Robbie! It's cold out!"

The same stare.

"You have all this fur and look at little poor me! No heat!"

Nothing.

"Please?"

Still nothing.

Sportacus huffed, "Fine. Have it your way, meanie."

Sportacus climbed out of Robbie's tail and picked a spot that wasn't too far from Robbie to lie down. Shooting Robbie an irritated glare, he settled down in the dirt, wrapping his tail around himself and grunting, "You'd think I was eating his most beloved cake, but noooooooo. Can't share my poofy tail with Sportacus…That would be baaaaaddddd." Soon, Sportacus's mumblings died off and turned into the labored breathing of sleep.

Robbie shook his head. _Weirdo._ He turned his attention away from his companion and out to the rain. The thunder still rolled overhead and the rain was coming down at a heavy, constant pace. No animals made a sound. No crickets with their songs. No owls with their repeated questions. Nothing but rain and thunder. For the longest time, Robbie had forgotten what the sound of storms was like. Being in an underground lair did muffle the unwanted noise, but it also took away the mystic sounds that are enjoyed by many. And the days Robbie had gone outside to listen to nature's song, the kids of LazyTown decided they had to be active and noisy. Robbie breathed the rain air in deeply and sighed. It smelled good. He lifted his eyes momentarily to the sky, looking at the dark clouds up above. Small flashes of light spread across the clouds, followed by the rolling thunder and Robbie began to remember the other bad thing of an underground lair: the incapability to see nature's wonders as well.

Fatigue started to tug at Robbie's eye lids, and Robbie finally laid his head back down on its tree root. It didn't take long for the rhythm of the rain and thunder to lull him to sleep. The clouds that Robbie were looking at slightly parted, and one single star shined brightly upon the two weary travelers before being covered up by the dark clouds once again.

* * *

AN  
Why yes! This one lives too! Guess what guys? Venom's next! DX And amazingly...I'm reviving my crossover fic "The Hunt." That does not take priority of my three main though. Creme, Venom, and Fuzzies come first! Note: My apology for being so late on the updates is in Chapter 11 of Creme. ;.; Once again, I'm sorry!

Sugargliders are always in need to climb things, so it's kinda why Sportacus starts freaking out now. He hasn't gotten to climb on anything and Robbie won't take pity on the poor guy. Saaaadddd.

Busby and Margy. XD You know, I really do think Robbie would make a handsome fox and quite frankly, I'd think all the animals would go after him, no matter how different the species is. Really, Margy is my flirtacious side coming out in a way. And Busby...is...I dunno...A strange attempt to get the Minnesotan Norweigan accent going. I'm working on it.

To me, I can see Sportacus NOT asking for a breather because he's always been the active, physically healthy one while Robbie is the exact opposite. Kind of humiliating when you have to ask for a breather when your traveling companion is probably the most out of shape person alive.

And a little twinkling star to end my comeback chapter. :3

Lots of love!  
Kami-chan


	4. Ain't No Place Like Home

"This the strongest huntin' rifle yeh got?"

"That Winchester there? Yessir'."

The dirty man tilted his hat back farther on his head, his eyes scanning over the rifle in the case. It shimmered in the light, calling out for the next hunter to buy it so it may do its purpose. His tongue clicked behind his teeth as he thought. The shop owner tapped the glass surface of the case.

"Would you like to see it?"

"Yessum'."

The shop owner took out a key, unlocking the glass, sliding door of the counter. Carefully, he grabbed the rifle and laid it gently on the surface of the case. The dirty man looked at it thoughtfully, thinking.

"What happened to that one rifle yah bought from me last year?"

The dirty man picked up the Winchester and felt its weight, "Yeh mean that Remington?"

"Yessir', Carl."

Carl raised the rifle to his face, aiming it at a target on the far wall, "Had problems with it."

"Oh?"

"Yup. Had trigger problems. I hardly touch the damned thing and it'd be sendin' bullets everywhere. Scared off some good trophies, I tell yeh, Bill."

The rifle in the Carl's hands seemed to give him a warm sensation of completion. It fit to his hands. It accommodated to help his eyes pin point the target. To him, it even seemed to breathe with him.

Bill wiped the glass counter clean with a rag, "What'cha thinkin' on huntin' this year, Carl?"

The sudden image of his prey shimmered on the target, "A fox."

He looked up from his cleaning, "Huntin' a fox? With that kind of rifle? It'll damage the pelt if ya ain't careful."

"Hrm."

"Well, ya'll see the place the bullet went in. N' a pelt with a hole in it makes it worth shit to traders."

"Well, Bill. I ain't a huntin' for no traders or money." His eyes narrowed as he concentrated on the non-existent fox on the target, "I keep mah pelts…and personally…" His finger wrapped around the trigger, "I like that little reminder…" His voice got low and hoarse, "…of how I beat another little vermin at the game of life…"

Carl's finger pulled the trigger and the rifle clicked.

--

A large droplet of water dripped from a large leaf down onto Robbie's snout, causing him to stir awake with a startle. He snorted, shaking his head violently and lifting it slightly. His eyes popped open in surprise before drifting half shut upon seeing that it was nothing.

Birds chirped in the bright sunlight of the early morning, rays breaking through the foliage and emitting a warm sensation to the ground below. Robbie yawned widely before surveying the scene before him. There were puddles all over the ground, little tiny birds playing in them, chirping happily and splashing each other. There was a squirrel in a tree across the way that Robbie could see was cleaning out his home, throwing out wet leaves from his hole.

Robbie's eyes glanced down to his traveling companion. Sportacus lay on his back, mumbling and lightly kicking a foot in his sleep.

"Yes, Ms. Bessie, I'd love some fruit saladmmmm…"

Sportacus's moving leg gave him enough momentum to finally fall onto his side facing away from Robbie and soon his mumblings ceased to be mumbled. The little gray and black tail flicked from time to time. Robbie shook his head, yawning again. Looking back out of the leaves, he decided it wasn't time to get up. They could take a few more minutes. He lowered his head to its original resting spot, relaxing his whole body again. His eye lids grew heavy and Robbie could feel sleep about to take him once again.

"Hello!"

Robbie's ears shot up and his eyes popped open quickly. A tiny voice…in the same vicinity as him that didn't belong to Sportacus. Raising his head back up, Robbie searched for their intruder. He was expecting a chipmunk, a squirrel, or rabbit to be hiding behind some sort of camouflage of leaves or bark, but found nothing. Robbie turned his head to search next to Sportacus when he spotted something on the leaf just above the sugar glider.

It was a large caterpillar, as big as a small mouse.

"…Hello…"

"Mighty strong storm we had last night, didn't we? Dreadful, dreadful storm. Made all the leaves and bronches too slippery to walk on."

"…You're a caterpillar."

He waved his little arm in an amused manner, "Oh, no. I'm a worm, but that's close enough."

Robbie raised his eye brow, "You look like a caterpillar though. Awful large to be a worm, don't you think?"

The little worm nodded happily, "Oh yes! Very large. But it's true. I'm a worm and not a caterpillar."

Robbie's ears pinned back against his head and he raised an eyebrow. Never in his life had Robbie seen a worm that looked so much like a caterpillar, let alone ever read of one that looked like this one. For a brief second, Robbie couldn't help but wonder what other kinds of weird creatures he would encounter on this trip. But then Robbie also came to another conclusion that he could just have an identity crisis, which was highly possible. The worm was too much like a caterpillar. He was brought out of his senses when he heard the worm chuckle.

"So, how long you been in da woods?"

"Not very long. We're going somewhere and just set out yesterday from our home, LazyTown."

The worm brightened, "Oh, yes! LazyTown! I'm not much of a travelar, but I have been there! Lovely little town! Just lovely! Had me a good apple from their apple tree once!"

Robbie smiled. He knew what apple tree this little guy was talking about.

"Dreadfully good! I might have eatin' me another one if I hadn't had to leave. It's the misses, you know. Always wantin' you home when you're supposed to be."

Robbie tapped his tail on the ground much like an amused cat, his ears having readjusted themselves to their proper position. It was rare for Robbie to like someone soon after meeting them, but Robbie did like this worm. He seemed like a free flowing spirit that could amuse anyone with just idle chatter. The little worm smiled widely and nodded.

"What is your name, my friend?"

"Robbie. My little rodent friend is Sportacus."

"Ah, yes. Good, good! Nice to meet your acquaintance!"

"And you are?"

The little worm smiled more, "Oh, why yes! How silly of me! My name is Toby."

Sportacus stirred awake, yawning with a little squeak. Robbie and Toby watched him, Toby with a much more amused expression than Robbie. Sitting up, his weary little eyes blinked sleepily as a funny little grin plastered itself on his face. Looking at Robbie, Sportacus smiled more and walked over to his orange buddy.

"Man, Robbie. I was having such a nice dream. I was in a land of fruits and vegetables with pretty little lights everywhere."

Robbie rolled his eyes, "You sure you just weren't at the grocery store's produce section?"

Toby chuckled.

Sportacus scrunched his nose as he thought, then grinned again, "Heehee…maybe." Sportacus then spotted Toby up on the leaf and his eyes opened fully, "Hello!"

Robbie nodded at Toby, "Sportacus, this is Toby."

Toby waved with his little hand, "Why hello, there! You look dreadfully tired! You two can come have a nice cup of tea. It will clear those sleepies right from your heads!"

Sportacus smiled, "Sure!"

"We'd love to, but we really should get going."

"Oh, buggah. A quick cup of tea is not gonna take that long, now. At least drop by and meet the misses!"

Robbie really did want to take him up on the offer, but the side of him that wanted to change back to his human form told him no. There was much road to travel and a visit with a couple of caterpillars who thought they were worms would take too much time.

"Where you off to, anyways?"

"Trenmill City."

Toby brightened, "Ah yes! Trenmill City! Lovely town, that one is! Was there not too long ago, mahself! Dreadfully far away though."

Robbie sighed, "I know. That's why we should get going."

Toby brightened even more, "Say! I was just on my way home when I ran into you two blowks! The road I take home is on the way to Trenmill City! I'd be very happy if you'd take me as far as there. It's an awfully long journey with these little feet!" Toby wiggled his legs.

Sportacus's ears drooped. He couldn't carry Toby, and with his recent experience with Robbie, getting a ride wasn't going to easily happen. The last thing Sportacus wanted was Robbie to turn down such a nice soul. But Sportacus gave Robbie a happy grin of encouragement that said 'yeah, let's do it!' Much to the little sugar glider's happiness, the little encouragement wasn't needed.

Robbie smiled and nodded, placing his nose just before the tip of the leaf, "Of course. Climb on."

Toby happily climbed aboard, "My goodness, thank you kindly! You two are quite the nice company!"

"Come on, Sportacus."

The three made their way out of their little hiding spot and out into the warmth of the forest's glow. Toby stretched his little legs and settled himself down in Robbie's tuff of black fur, surprisingly not affecting the fox at all. Down the wet, sticky path, Robbie and Sportacus trudged along at a decent pace. It wasn't long before Toby's voice broke the short silence.

"Oh, I must tell you about the time…"

--

"And wouldn't you know it; I had the danged twig in mah hand!"

Sportacus laughed out loud. Toby was quite the character. He ran in circles around Robbie's feet as they walked down the path, much to the annoyance of Robbie. Even as a little rodent, Sportacus was too happy and energetic after a good sleep. The sun was rising higher in the sky, its heat getting warmer by the minute. Robbie estimated it was still morning, rolling closer to maybe ten in the morning. They had been walking for a few hours listening to Toby's stories and they were never ending. One story would lead to another, which would lead to another. Robbie sighed. Very few words had been heard from either of the mammals, because of Toby's on-going stories. Not that Robbie minded, of course. He hadn't really any ambition to tell his stories or ideas. He might have scared the little bugger. The path slowly turned into a fork in the road, revealing two different paths of equal beauties that seemed indifferent to each other.

"Ah! Here we are!"

Robbie's ears perked as he slowed to a halt, "Hm?"

Toby pointed to the path on the right, "Here! This is where I must get off. Hurry, now! To that low tree branch there!

Robbie complied, making his way to the low branch. Sportacus beat him there, climbing up the tree and hopping onto the same branch. Robbie put his nose close to the branch, and Toby, as to not cause the fox any discomfort, slowly made his way across the long muzzle.

"Ah yes. That'll be much better for you. Yes, yes. This is a good spot." Toby finally was settled on the branch with Sportacus, patting his belly, "Almost lunch time, I suppose. Some good leaves in this tree, there are. I'll have me a feast." He looked back at Robbie and Sportacus, "You sure you won't come and have some tea with me and the misses? It would be quite the time!"

Sportacus swayed his tail beneath him as it hung, "No thanks. We probably should go find ourselves something to eat too." He looked at Robbie sadly, "But I haven't seen any wild berries or anything for us to eat for a long time. I dunno if we'll get anything. We at least need some water."

Toby waved his hand, "Oh that's no problem at all, now!"

Robbie looked at him funny, "It's not?"

"Oh no, no, no, no, no! Continue up that path there and you should come across a watering hole eventually. It's no water from the river, but it's close enough."

Robbie sighed, "That doesn't solve our problem for food."

It wasn't that Robbie was being rude or pushy. Robbie was like Sportacus: Hungry. And Robbie wasn't about to go vegetarian and start grazing like a cow or giraffe. He knew Sportacus would because of his vegetable loving, but Robbie? Nuh uh. No siree.

"Oh that's easy!" Toby pointed to the other path, "As you make your way to the watering hole, there should be some camping grounds a little bit off the path. Humans sometimes leave scraps and trash behind that you could rummage through. I would be careful though. Though it's not camping season, I would be very careful. Humans still like to go out there and cause a ruckus…"

Sportacus and Robbie both smiled and looked at each other. The possibility of food was what they needed to hear, even if it meant a little bit of danger. Neither Robbie nor Sportacus feared much. It wouldn't be a problem. Sportacus hopped down onto the ground when he heard a little sigh from Toby.

Toby stretched a bit, then waved to both of them.

"I suppose I must be off. And I suppose you two blokes should be too. Thank you much for your kindness! The misses and I will always think about you!"

Sportacus waved back, "Bye Toby! See you round!"

Robbie nodded, "Bye Toby."

With that, Toby smiled and started up the tree. Soon a little hum could be heard that sounded much like Toby's voice, the tune cheery and light. Robbie smiled as he watched the little creature crawl up the tree. The realization hit him that Robbie would indeed miss the little guy, very unlike himself. But then the whole idea of getting to go home made Robbie's heart sink a bit. He missed his orange fuzzy chair, his candy, his inventions…everything. A sudden surge of home sickness grasped him and he shuddered. _Get a hold of yourself. You're ROBBIE ROTTEN! You can do this._ But being so dependent on his home in the past made these thoughts make him sadder and he wanted his underground lair more by the minute. Robbie sighed. He was growing soft and he didn't like it. A man like him didn't grow soft like this…no way. He was supposed to be tough, take on anything whether it be emotional or physical. He was a MAN. He could take it. But those thoughts still didn't console him at all.

A growl from both his and Sportacus's stomach brought him back to his senses. He brought his paw to his stomach. _Maybe some food and water would help._ Sportacus tugged on some of Robbie's fluff on his front leg, bringing the foxes face down to look at him. Sportacus had sensed some sort of emotional distress from Robbie. He may be a sugar glider, but he still regained his elf magic and he had his crystal with him, it would have gone off.

"Robbie? You okay?"

"I'm good."

"You sure?"

"Yup."

Sportacus sat back down, his tail brushing across the dirt, "Kay."

He knew it was a lie. His elfin senses were never wrong when it came to distress and Robbie had been in it. But Sportacus decided not to push it. Doing so would probably make Robbie irritable and angry, and they were still on the beginning legs of their journey. Best to keep everyone happy.

Robbie eyed the sugar glider for a moment before staring back at the tree. He didn't need Sportacus worrying about his little distress. It would have been…well, embarrassing. His stomach growled again and he rose to his feet and slowly turned.

"Come on, Sportacus. Let's go see if anyone left some food at the camping grounds."

Sportacus hopped up onto his feet and followed as Robbie slowly started walking down the other path, "Ya think there'll be anything good?"

"Dunno."

"I hope so! I could use a good apple…" Sportacus gasped and ran a circle around Robbie's feet as he continued walking, "You think there could be a kiwi!? Please say there could be!"

Robbie mumbled, "Possibly."

The two continued down the path to the sound of birds chirping in the background as Sportacus continued to ramble on about what he hoped to find in the campgrounds, causing Robbie to ponder if sugar gliders had any nutritional value what-so-ever.

* * *

AN

:3 Anyone know who Toby is based on? The little lovable critter is in a Jim Hensen movie with a awesome rocker that had a costume that hid nothing...Oh yes. Labyrinth with David Bowie. And Toby's based on the little worm that Sarah first encounters when she can't figure out how to find any doors. I love that little bugger. To me, he was like someone who will talk for HOURS on end with just anyone. Didn't matter if he knew them or not. He was gonna talk with them on whatever subject. Oh, Toby.

So, I had initially thought this chapter and the next one were...gonna be the same one, but this one ended up way longer than I thought, so I figured it be best to separate them. And I was just sitting here typing this chapter when it really did hit me: With all the things I have planned for this fic, it's gonna be really long. Not that I'll mind it, but if I figure it right, it has the potential to be longer than Creme will be once it's finished (but then again, Creme has major potential right now that I for sure am not gonna pass up). But I love all my fics. They're all being worked on, rest assured.

I actually don't have much to say about this chapter besides the fact that I love Toby. Lolz. Enjoy!

Lots of love,  
Kami


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